BARODA PRANT 79
Baroda Prant.-A pfrlntf or district of the Baroda State, lying
between 21° 50′ and 22° 45′ N. and 72° 35′ and 73° 50′ E., with an
area of I,887 square miles. It is bounded on the north by the Kaira
District of Bombay; on the west by Broach, Cambay, and part of
Kaira; on the south by Broach and the Rewa Kantha; and on the east
by the Rewa Kantha and the Panch Mahals. Most of the prant forms
a compact block between the Narbada and the Mahi, but the Petlad
taluka lies separate, north of the latter river. The southern portion
of the prdnt is largely composed of black soil, which, though fertile,
produces few trees. In the north the red soil is thickly wooded.
The prant is either traversed or skirted by the rivers Mahi, Dhadhar,
Narbada, Vishwamitri, Surya, Meni, Or, Hiran, Unchh, and Oswan.
The country is largely under cultivation, and the vegetation there-
fore consists chiefly of the crops with their accompanying weeds. The
hedges enclosing fields consist of shrubs like Maerua, Cadaba, Dios-
pyros, Celastrus, with occasionally fleshy species of Euphorbia; asso-
ciated with these shrubby species are trees of Bombax malabaricum.
The climbing plants in the hedges include species of Legmninosae,
Convolvulaceae, MAenispermaceae, and Asclepiadaceae. In waste places
and on waysides occur kTephrosia putrpurea, Heylandia latebrosa,
Waltheria indica, Hibiscus Gibsoni, Argemone mexicana, and similar
species. In the neighbourhood of dwellings are seen mangoes,
tamarinds, baels, several species of Ficus, Anona squamosa, Jatropha
Curcas, and other more or less useful planted or sub-spontaneous
species.
The population in 1872 was estimated at 747,437, and at the next
two enumerations it was (i88I) 76I,5o0, (I89I) 817,023; while in
190o it was only 644,071, of whom 523,999 were Hindus, 36,713 Ani-
mists, 64,148 Musalmans, and 10,916 Tains. The terrible diminution
in the population was due to the disastrous effects of famine and
plague. The prdnt is divided into nine tdlukas and two petas or sub-
tdlukas, the population of which in 190o is shown in the table on
the next page.
The principal towns are BARODA CITY, PETLAD, DABHOI, SOJITRA,
VASO, PADRA, NAR, PIHIJ, and SINOR. Gujarati is spoken by 93 per
cent. of the population, and Hindustani by 5 per cent., while nearly
a fourth of the inhabitants of the city use Marathi. In I9I0 the prdnt
contained 6,943 native Christians. The American Methodist Episcopal
Mission has adherents in 125 villages and towns, numbering approxi-
mately 5,200. In addition to two orphanages, it provides a training
school for teachers and preachers, and fifty-five day-schools.
The prevailing black soil is very fertile, and requires little manure or
irrigation, while gordt or sandy loam needs both. The Petlad tlouka
is noted for the cultivation of tobacco. The chief crops are rice, bijra,